British Man's Social Media Outrage Over Mass Killings in Sudan's Darfur Region Sparks Calls for Action
A 44-year-old British citizen living in Sheffield has sparked widespread condemnation after appearing in a TikTok live broadcast laughing along with a notorious fighter from Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) group, who boasted about participating in mass killings in the city of El Fasher. The video, which was broadcast on October 27, is just one of hundreds posted to social media by Abdalmonim Alrabea, an online propagandist for the RSF.
Alrabea, a self-described "dedicated RSF supporter," has travelled to Darfur at least twice since the war began and has uploaded monologues on almost a daily basis to accounts with tens of thousands of followers on TikTok, YouTube, and X. His online presence has raised concerns among the Sudanese diaspora in the UK, who have called for action to be taken against him for inciting hate and glorifying violence.
"Freedom of speech should never serve as a shield for hate speech or incitement to violence," said Abdallah Abu Garda, chair of the UK-based Darfur Diaspora Association. "We urge the authorities to take decisive action, ensure accountability, and prevent him from continuing to spread harmful content."
Alrabea's online activities have drawn comparisons to Rwanda's genocide, where hate speech was used to fuel the conflict. Mohamed Suliman, a Sudanese researcher and writer based in Boston, described Alrabea as "the group's most influential social media activist" who plays a key role in strengthening the militia's followers by spreading a narrative that justifies their war.
TikTok has taken down Alrabea's account for violating its policies on violent and criminal behaviour, while YouTube has also removed his content for violating its violent extremist or criminal organisations policy. However, X has struggled to keep up with Alrabea's prolific output, with the company having previously taken down his accounts only for him to open new ones that quickly gain followers.
The RSF captured El Fasher from the Sudanese army late last month, since when evidence of ethnically targeted mass killings, sexual violence, and abductions has emerged. Satellite imagery analysed by Yale researchers has shown visible blood stains on the city's streets and possible mass graves being dug. The United States has formally declared that the RSF has committed genocide during the war.
Alrabea's ability to visit Darfur during an active conflict has raised questions about his influence within the organisation beyond mere online cheerleading. Mohamed Elnour, a Sudanese human rights lawyer, said Alrabea's role is to recruit and encourage the spread of hate speech, which can fuel further violence.
"It's not just spreading hate speech from a car; he's on the ground, meeting RSF officials, standing on top of tanks," Elnour added. "Look at Rwanda, how it started – those who spread hate speech fuelled the war."
A 44-year-old British citizen living in Sheffield has sparked widespread condemnation after appearing in a TikTok live broadcast laughing along with a notorious fighter from Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) group, who boasted about participating in mass killings in the city of El Fasher. The video, which was broadcast on October 27, is just one of hundreds posted to social media by Abdalmonim Alrabea, an online propagandist for the RSF.
Alrabea, a self-described "dedicated RSF supporter," has travelled to Darfur at least twice since the war began and has uploaded monologues on almost a daily basis to accounts with tens of thousands of followers on TikTok, YouTube, and X. His online presence has raised concerns among the Sudanese diaspora in the UK, who have called for action to be taken against him for inciting hate and glorifying violence.
"Freedom of speech should never serve as a shield for hate speech or incitement to violence," said Abdallah Abu Garda, chair of the UK-based Darfur Diaspora Association. "We urge the authorities to take decisive action, ensure accountability, and prevent him from continuing to spread harmful content."
Alrabea's online activities have drawn comparisons to Rwanda's genocide, where hate speech was used to fuel the conflict. Mohamed Suliman, a Sudanese researcher and writer based in Boston, described Alrabea as "the group's most influential social media activist" who plays a key role in strengthening the militia's followers by spreading a narrative that justifies their war.
TikTok has taken down Alrabea's account for violating its policies on violent and criminal behaviour, while YouTube has also removed his content for violating its violent extremist or criminal organisations policy. However, X has struggled to keep up with Alrabea's prolific output, with the company having previously taken down his accounts only for him to open new ones that quickly gain followers.
The RSF captured El Fasher from the Sudanese army late last month, since when evidence of ethnically targeted mass killings, sexual violence, and abductions has emerged. Satellite imagery analysed by Yale researchers has shown visible blood stains on the city's streets and possible mass graves being dug. The United States has formally declared that the RSF has committed genocide during the war.
Alrabea's ability to visit Darfur during an active conflict has raised questions about his influence within the organisation beyond mere online cheerleading. Mohamed Elnour, a Sudanese human rights lawyer, said Alrabea's role is to recruit and encourage the spread of hate speech, which can fuel further violence.
"It's not just spreading hate speech from a car; he's on the ground, meeting RSF officials, standing on top of tanks," Elnour added. "Look at Rwanda, how it started – those who spread hate speech fuelled the war."
It's like he thinks he's above the law or something. The fact that TikTok, YouTube, and X have all had to take down his accounts is a good start but it's not enough, we need real action taken against him. We can't let people glorify violence and hate speech online, it's just so scary 
his online behavior is literally disgusting and I'm seriously worried about what he's capable of in real life 
he thinks freedom of speech is an excuse to just spew hate and promote violence but it's not, it never was 
the fact that social media platforms are letting him spread this toxic content is just as bad, they need to do way more to stop these online propagandists from causing harm 
This guy is literally making me wanna cry 
. He's basically promoting and glorifying violence against innocent people in Darfur 
. And to think he's got a huge following on TikTok 
... it's like he's got the world fooled 
.
. Is he actually helping them recruit new members or is he just making money off their propaganda? 
Either way, it's not cool 
. These people are literally fueling a war that's causing so much suffering and death 
.
. it's not just about freedom of speech, it's about holding ppl accountable for their actions 
, i'm glad tiktok took down his account but we need more concrete action from the authorities 
this guy is so extra Alrabea makes me wanna roll my eyes, but at the same time I get why people are super upset about him - his posts are literally celebrating people who committed mass killings 
.
It's not like he was just joking around; he's been to Darfur multiple times, posting about it online and claiming to be a "dedicated supporter" of the RSF. That's not funny, that's hate speech.
how many more lives do we have to lose before we take some real action?? 
and now he's laughing with a fighter from the RSF group who's all about mass killings... it's just horrific. 
. Freedom of speech isn't a free pass to spread hate and incitement, and it's not okay that this guy is getting away with it. We need more accountability, especially when it comes to platforms that are supposed to be regulating hate speech on their own turf 
.
At least this way he knows exactly what he's gotten himself into by posting all that hate speech online...
.
. I mean, come on! We should be promoting love, kindness, and understanding instead of fueling division and fear 
. And what about all the poor victims of war who are suffering because of guys like Alrabea? 
. He needs to be held accountable for his actions and taken off social media where he can't spread more hate 
.